The peeciofs metals by means of



(No Modex.) A 2 sheets-sheet 1. W.'W.YBR0WN 8v L. A.'GATES.

APPARATUS POE EXTRAGTING THE PRECIOUS METALS BY MEANS 0E THB LEAD BATH. N0. 289,064. Patented Nov. 27, 1888.

2 sheets-sheet 2.

(No Model.) r

W. W. BROWN 8c L. A. GATES APPARATUS FOR BXTRAGTING THE'PREGIOUS METALS 13Z"-13AE..\.NSl 0F l THE LEAD BATH. No. 289,064. Patented Nov. -27

N. PETERS. Pwmmmgnpmf. wnringwn. D. C.

Unirse STATES f PATENT Ormes".

TVILLIATTI 7WALTON BROWN AND LEIS ADELBERT GATES, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

APPARATUS EUR' EXTRACTING THE PRECIOUS METALS BY MEANS 0F THE LEAD BATH.

, v SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 289,064, dated November 27, 1883.

(No model.)

To @Z-whom, t may concern:

Be it known that we, WiLLIAM WALToN Bnowlv and Lewis ADELBm-:r GATES, citizens of the United States, residing in San Francisco, county of San Francisco, State of California, have made and invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Apparatus for Extractingthe Precious Metals by Means of the Lead Bath 5 and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, the accompanying drawings being referred to as a part of this specification.

Our invention relates to certain improvements in extracting gold and silver from their ores by what is generally known as the leadbath process, and will be understood as herepartly in section to expose the mechanism for l Fig. 2 is a introducing the ore into the lead. plan of Fig. l, the furnace andk chimney of the heating-cylinder being in horizontal section. Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are views in detail and on a large scale of the lead-bath vessel, the ore-carrier, and its. scraper, Fig. 3 being a vertical section through the vessel, the ore-chute, its feeding device, and the hood and apron, and ventfor gases, by which the air is excluded from the ore 5 and Figs. 1L and 5 are respectively a plan and cross-section of the carrier. TVewill proceed first to describe the coni struction and application of the mechanism by whieh'we convey the ore through the molten lead and discharge it into the lowest portion of the bath, and afterward explain and show the connection and combination of the other parts necessary to produce a complete apparatus. The vessel A is a cylindrical pot with a spherical onrounding bottom, of any suitable size to contain a body of lead. Itis set within furnace, A', over a grate-surface, a, by means of which the lead is kept in a molten condition during the operation. Upon the top or rimof the furnace, at one side of the pot, a forked or double bracket, B, having shaftbearings b in line, but inclined at an angle of about forty-tive degrees out ofthe horizontal, to receive and support an inclined shaft, C, the true bearings being at such distance apart as will give required support to the shaft. The shaft C is set at this angle, and projectsl above the brackets, where a pulley, d, is fixed on it, and extends downward into the pot below the point where the level of molten lead will be kept. In the lower end of the shaft C is fixed an open center-wheel, D, having a rim, D', that is rectangular in cross-section, and arms or spokes D, that j oin rim and hub D3 together. This wheel being set square on its shaft, it eX- tends diagonally through the bath from the top surface down to a point at or near the lowest part of the pot. The diameter of the wheel is then determined by the size of the pot. The upper face of the rim D'is formed, somewhat after the manner of a cog-wheel, with alternate teeth, cogs, or projections and spaces or depressions, in regular manner, Aall round. The upper part and a portion of one side of the rim are coveredby an annular shield, E, which fits over the face and extends downward, both on the inside and the outside of the rim. This annular cover or casing is stationary, and the discharge end or mouth of the oreconductor leads into it at the highest point, and directly over the cavities or pockets in the face of the rim. The object of this casing is to prevent the ore from being thrown off or discharged from the pockets until they reach the lowest portion of the bath. One end of the casing is therefore carried down to this point, so that nearly the entire half of the rim of the carrier is incased on one side, but on the opposite half or upward moving of the. carrier the rim is uncovered, except in the vicinity of the feed.

A chute or connection, F,terminates in avertical spout, F, rectangular in cross-section, having a small corrugated roller, gr, set in the mouth to regulate the dischargel of the oreinto the carrier, and which rotates asy the carrier revolves, and to be driven by friotional contact with the rim of the wheel D. This roller iills 'the space between the wallsof the spout F', and it is corrugated or formed with cavic roo ties or pockets. Rotation ofthis roller being always in proportion to the motion ofthe wheel D, the discharge of the ore into the rim-cavities is controlled and determined by the velocity of the wheel. A horizontal iiange or holding-plate, h, is bolted to the rim of the pot, and supports the wheel-casing and also the vertical spout, it being formed in one `piece with these parts, or the parts are firmly fixed to its'outer overhanging edge.

l is asemi-cylindrical cap or hood entirely surrounding and inclosing the spout, so as to exclude the outer air from the discharging ore. The rear and sides ofthe hood rest upon the rim of the pot, while the front edge and `that portion of the side beyond the rim is carried down to vthe surface of the lead. These overl-parts inclose the Yupperpo'rti-on of the wheel rand casing, and as long as the level of the molten lead is maintained above the edge 'of the hood perfect exclusion of the air is obtained. It should be understood, of course, that 'the joints between the edge of the hood. andY thepot and spout lfit closely, 'orare lproperly closed to prevent leakage of air intoA the hood. '4

J isa vent-tube running down through the hood I into the top of the casing, for the purposeof allowing gases to pass off.

In connection with the ore-carrier D w-e employan automatic scraper to remove the ore from the wheetpo'ckets as soon -asthey reach in turn' the lowest part ofthe bath. This de-` vice visan arm, K, placed atthe front of vthe pot in position to extend into the leady bath immediately over that portion of the wheel-V rim which runs deepest into thelead. Its lower end terminates in a flat blade or scraping-edge, and 'a'nalternate rising and falling motion is given to thearm, by which the scraping-'edge vpasses regularly over the projections and into the depressions, thus following and bearing againstfthe surface of the-rim. This 'move-A mentanda'ction'are produced by the mechan. ism-shown in Fig. 3. A hub or collar,K, free to slide upon the shaft, carries a curved arm or bracket-piece, K2, the curved end of which has a friction-roller on a stud, m. `Upon this shaftV C, between the arms of the bracket'B, is acam, N, with a circumferential-groove inits face, the form of which conforms to the form ofthe facevof the wheel-rim. The ystub of the hub-arnfKz is brought inline and working positicn'with respect Ito this groove, so-'that rotation of thecam shall produce a regular ris` ingandfalling motion ofthe arm vK and'move the scraper the'required distance up anddown to keep it in contactwith the irregular surface hof the revolving wheel or carrier. 'The 'camgr'oove' will have as many elevations and depressions `as are Acontained in the wheel; or either a grooveca`m or an edge-cam canbe used. lInthe latter case the camwould'only I'Jroducev the lifting movement of the scrape@ andy aspri-ng 'woulddberequired to depress the arm" 'after each lift.

tionary casing. I y yare carried downward through the bath, but within the' casing, until they-pass out from beof the ore as they pass under the scraper. ascending side of the wheel then 'passes -up- Any suitable mechanism for moving the scraper-arm up and down can be usediinstead of the cam, as we do not limit ourselves to any particular way of making the scraper move over the cogs or irregularities of the wheelrim. rlhe movement of the hub K is confined toa perpendicular one, or in line with the shaft, `by` means vof "a guide-pin, k, on the top of the arm- K, working through a hole lin the iiange -of the lower arm of the bracket.

flf the lower part of the .wheel-casing requires additional support beyond what is derived from its attachment at the upper end to lthe rim `of the pot or the feed-spout, a flange,

R, may be carried from the rim of the pot at the side down into the bath and attached to the side of the casing at the lower part.

In the `operation 1of the apparatus the oreis introduced to the wheel from the feed-spout,

and, falling upon the rim, each cavity becomes vfilled with as muchas will remain on it as the rim passes between the side and top ofthe sta- These charges thus conned neath'the casing,where thecavities are relieved The ward and the cavities receive new charges as 'theypass in succession under the feed-spout.

rlhe ore to be treated is iirst brought toits required heated condition in a'suitablefurnacc, from whence it is conducted through fiues,

chutes, or passages to the feed-spout. -To

properly and successfully carry on the process, the pot should be located in close proximity tothe furnace, so that the heated ore can-be taken directly fromvits discharge andwitliout exposure vinto thefeed-spout, andthence tothe l carrier. An arrangement of suchcomplete apparatusr isillustrated in 1 of the draw-. `ingsvhere an inclined revolving ore-furnace,

with stationary fire-box and liuc-chamber, is required to bring the ore to the required temperature.v The ore-cylinder X issupported upon and driven by gear-wheels, and its tubular ends are inserted in aperturesin theinlside wall of stationary chambers Y andYQthe IOOA IIO

lead-bath apparatus to deliver the oreina heated condition without exposing it to the air. A p

`lt-w'ill be noticed that the carrierD, in addition to its function -as' a carrier to convey the oredown into the lowest part of thebath,

operates upon the molten leady during the process to keep it continually stirred up or in a state of agitation, thereby producing a current that assists the metal in driving off the Worthless particles and bringing such'niatter to the surface.

Having thus fully described our invention, what We claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an apparatus for treating ores by the lead-bath process, an ore-carrier for receiving the ore from the delivery-spout and conveying it into the bath, said carrier consisting of a revolving wheel having depressions, corruga tions, cavities, or pocket-s for containing the ore formed in the rim thereof, said Wheel being set at an inclination-from the perpendicular line, substantially as shown, and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of a suitable pot or vessel to contain a bath of metal and maintain it` project into the surface of the molten metal,

substantially as described, for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination, with the inclined revolving carrier D, having brackets, pockets, or ore-cavities, of the casing E, venttube J, hood I, feed-spout F, and feedroller, substantially as vhereinbefore described, to operate as set forth.

6. 4The combination, with the inclined revolving carrier D, having brackets, pockets, or ore-cavities in the rim, of the scraper K, actuating-arm K2, and cam N, substantially as hereinbefore described, to operate as set forth.

7. The combination together of an ore-heating furnace, a close ore chute or conductor leading therefrom and adapted to deliver the heated ore into a closed feed-spout, ont of contact with the outside air, a lead-bath pot or vessel to contain a body of metal in a molten state, the inclined revolving ore-carrier, a mechanical scraper to operate upon the lower part of the carrier, the stationary casing, protecting-hood, feedspout, and feed-roller, and mechanism for rotating said carrier, all substantially as hereinbefore described, to operate as set forth.

WILLIAM WAI/PGN BROWN. LEWIS ADELBERT GATES.

fitnesses PHILIP FALK, ALrIIoNso B. SMITH. 

